John tonge



(No Model.)

J. TONGE.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER.-

No. 363,187. Patented May 17, 1887.

NITED STATES PATENT JOHN TONGFhOF ROOHDALE, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,187, dated May 17, 1887.

Application filed December 28, 1886. Serial No. 222,418. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JO N Tones, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Henry street, Rochdale, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented a new and useful Fire Extinguisher or Sprinkler, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to fire-extinguishersbetter known as sprinklers -used in works, manufactories, or other places, and applied at such parts thereof as may be subject to the ravages of fire or' conflagration, and is so adapted and arrangedas to operate in an automatic manner, being affected by the aid of the expansive propertles of a liquid orliquids in such a manner that, upon the origination of fire in the place or places wherein one or more of my apparatus is or are provided, the heat which may be due to the fire or conflagration causes my apparatus to operate, and to discharge water therein and at convenient parts thereof.

An important feature of my invent-ion consists in an effective control of the water-discharge, espccially at the time when the fire or conflagration has been put out. At such a time the apparatus is caused to reverse itself and the discharge of water is discontinued, thus avoiding any unnecessary damage to machinery or goods by water, which, as is well known, often results in loss or damage thereto quite as great and as serious as loss or damage caused by fire.

My invention provides an automatic device, its action being governed by the dilution of fluids produced by an increased temperature, such fluids only being employed for this purpose as will expand and contract with an increase and decrease of temperature above and below the normal'point. I provide, therefore, by my invention a fire-detector, as well as a fire-extinguisher, whereby fire in the immediate neighborhood will be at once and automatically extinguished, even before it could be certainly detected by the usual means.

In order that my invention may be well understood, I have reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, wherein like letters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation in section, showing the position of apparatus when closed or in equilibrium. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, part in section, showing position of apparatus when in operation. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a plan.

My invention consists of what I will term, for convenience of description, a liquid-containing vessel A, of metal or other suitable material as may be necessary. I preferably employ materials being good conductors of heat. \Vhen metal is employed, I construct the vessel A of copper, which may, if desired, be provided in the interior with a lining of earthenware or covered with a solution of any suitable composition, so as to obtain an enameled, hardened, or impenetrable surface, in order to resist the corrosive action of certain liquids. The said vessel may be of spherical or any other desired form. By preference I adopt the form as shown and illustrated in the drawings herein, as the vessel affords a small capacity for the storage of aliquid. Isupply the vessel A wit-h aliquid'of a volatile nature, which may be benzoline, or any other suitable hydrocarbon or spiritous fluid or sulphurous acid. In a case where the fluid by contact may be injurious to the rubber cover 13, situated atthe upper part of the vessel A, I interpose oil in a convenient space between the under side of the cover and the surface of the liquid contained in the vessel. By such means the cover B maintains its pliable or elastic quality.

On the upper side of the cover B is situated a separate attachment, D, having a chamber, 0, which lies just over the cover 13, and which is filled with glycerine, linseed or other oil, or any heavy-bodied liquid. This liquid extends into the tubular port-ion of the attachment D and is in contact with the under side of a piston, F, which may move vertically in the tubular portion E of the attachment- D. The piston F is provided with suitable leather or rubber packing, consisting of a screwthreaded piece, G, and a leather or rubber ring, H. The upper-side or part of the piston F, which projects into a tubular attachment D, which also furnishes a support for the part D and its appendages, is in contact with the under side of a graduated lever, J, which is provided with a movable weight or counterpoise, K. The weight K is situated in any convenient position on the graduated lever J, so as to equalize or counterbalance a pressure of water passing through the tube or pipe L,-

and to maintain a position of rest or equilibrium at any temperature, being the normal temperature of the place wherein the apparatus is situated. The functions of thelever J are to respectively open and close a communication between the water-way L, which is the source through which the water is allowed to pass, and the rose or jet M, accordingly as it is actuated by the piston F. The jet M may be of any form and contain any number of suitable perforations, asmay be desired, and may exwith, the lever enters into a slot orirecess, P,'

of the said piston, the piston 0 being free to slideor move in the vertical tubular branch piece B, which has a fixed orstationary position. At the lower part of the piston is provided a spindle, S, having at its lower part a valve, ,T, which valve. closes the opening U. The piston being provided at its lower part (being the upper part of the spindle S) with proper packing to insure efficiency in working, the lower part of the stationary branch piece is provided with the rose or jet M. At any convenient part of the under side of the liquid-containing vessel A, I affix a vessel or receptacle, W, in which I place or provide a suitable spirituous liquid or combustible substance, such liquid or substance being connected or in communication with a fuse, X, leading from said vessel \V to any point or points where goods or combustible articles are stored.

My apparatus may be connected or applied at the part Z of the branch pipe R to any pipe or tube conveying water at high or low pressures. Any number may be applied and used, being fixed or situated and carried by a support, D, at the upper part of a room orplace which is desired to be insured against damage by fire, or fixed in any other convenient posi tion, as may be found-convenient with relation to machinery or goods.

In the event of an increase of temperature in the neighborhood of my apparatus, which may be caused by a fire, at such a time the volatile fluid contained in the vessel A will consequently become dilated or expanded, and will actuate or press upward the rubber cover B, and compress or force the glycerine or heavy-bodied substance against the lower part of the piston F, ,Manifestly upon such occurrence the lever J will be actuated,'and thus piston F will fall or lower its position.

raised to the position as shown in Fig. 2. The lever then actuates the mechanism contained in the vertical tubular part of the branch pipe R. The valve T at the lower part of the spin dle S then assumes the position as shown in Fig. 2, and thus water is allowed to pass from the water-way L into the rose or et chamber L, and thence through the perforations Z, in the the volatile and combustible fluid in vessel W,

whereby the expansion of the fluid in vessel A is greatly hastened and the action of the lever J thereby precipitated. It should be clearly understood, however, that the action of the fire-extinguisher, while it may be hastened by, is not dependent upon, theignition of the fluid in vessel WV.-

Upon the decrease of temperature in the neighborhood of my apparatus, which may be due to the fact of the flames having been extinguished, the liquid contained in the vessel A will become contracted. Consequently the Thus the normal position of the piston 0 will be restored. (SeeFig. 1.) The waterundersuch circumstances will then cease to flow through the jet M. Thus unnecessary damage caused by water will be obviated, which is as serious as loss or damage caused by the ravages of fire.

In conclusion ,I would have it clearly understood that I do not, and it will be inferred from the foregoing description that I cannot, bind myself to the exact details as herein shown, as it may be and will be necessary to depart from the details of my invention without deviating from the principle thereof.

I am aware that prior to my invention sprinklers or fireextinguishers have been made by means of which water has passed therefrom in the form of jets or sprays; but I am not aware that any of such sprinklers operate in an automatic manner by the aid of the expansive properties of liquids. I

It will be seen that after the expansion of liquid has once taken place and operated the lever J, the escape of water will continue until the fluid in .vessel A has so far contracted as to permit the valve T to seat. This con' traction will not take place until the normal temperature is restored to the surrounding atmosphere.

Therefore, what I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic fireextinguisher, the combination, with the waterway and a valve .closing the same,- of aweighted valve-lever actuating the valve, a piston bearing against said lever, an expansible fluid acting on the piston, a vessel containing a combustible fluid, and one or more fuses leading from a distant ICC ating the lever, a heavy fluid bearing against point or points to said vessel, the latter being I which the heavy fluid rests, a vessel, W, 0011- [0 arranged beneath the vessel containing the extaining an inflammablefluid arranged beneath pansiblefluid, substantiallyasdesoribed. vessel A, and one or more fuses, X, leading 2. The combination, with the water-way, of from a distant point or points to said vessel,

a distributer having valve T, a weighted lesubstantially as described. ver, J, actuating the valve, a piston,-F, oper- JOHN TONGE.

W'itnessesz' JOHN H. BUTTERWORTH,

GEORGE COOKERILL.

the piston, a vessel, A, containing an expansible fluid beneath a flexible diaphragm, on 

